Monday, May 18, 2015

Mondays are so dull, aren't they? And Monday nights - ugh! But tonight, you can hang out with me and some very cool people at Night Owl Reviews! NOR chats are always a blast. Plus you have the chance to win some great goodies! What could be better than that?If you register now, you can be entered for extra goodies.

In this contemporary
re-telling of Grimm’s classic fairy tale The Griffin, two people must risk everything to free
themselves from the invisible prisons that keep them from love…

Jackson Grant
had it all—the girl he loved, his Harley, and his guitar. Until a tragic
accident stole it all away. Now, more than scars and a tattoo remain. Jackson
has a secret. Cursed by his dead girlfriend’s mother, he can never fall in love
again or his beloved will die. With his heart on lockdown, he keeps to
himself—until a roadie gig with Malcontent, the world’s most popular band,
entwines his fate with sweet, wounded Layla’s…

Music is what
Layla lives for. She has no choice. She’s bound by magic to serve Malcontent,
cursed to propel them to stardom with her musical powers. Then Jackson appears
and gives her hope that he’s the hero who will save her. A reluctant hero, yet
one she can’t resist. But freedom will come at price—and who will pay?

I loved this one! I liked how the author, Cate
Masters, was able to present this well written story to the reader. The
Griffin’s Secret is a re-telling of Grimm's classic fairy tale. You will
be hooked into this story from the very start.The author did an excellent job of fitting this Grimm's Tale into a rock music world.Readers will be intrigued and pulled into the story quickly. Night Owl Reviews - 5-star Top Pick

Now this is a different kind of book! Cate sure came up with a wild and
crazy story line plus a crazy bunch of musicians. Jackson was driving a
motorcycle with his girl and they were hit by a semi. She died and her
mother cursed him to never love again. Fast forward and Jackson gets a
tattoo from a stranger and sends him off. He plays guitar and joins
Malcontent, a rock band. He meets Mal,gets a roadie job and then he sees
Layla. She is part of the band but wants to get away. Big Spoiler. Then
this story gets to turn dangerous. Jackson tries to help Layla get
away. Major Magical Spoilers. If you choose to read this you will hear
of Jimi Herxrix and other bands. If you enjoy music you should like this
story. If you aren't a music lover then maybe you will like the Magic.
Give this a chance. Enjoy this story!CelticMaggie - 4 stars

I loved the paranormal aspect of this book and it does get a bit dark,
but never got too dark. The plot was intriguing enough to keep me
reading. It was entertaining and very creative. The plot twists and
turns, and just like fairy tales, good conquers evil.The Jeep Diva - 4 stars

From the very beginning with the motorcycle wreck, voices and the
strange Gundy in the old truck I was hooked in reading The Griffin's
Secret by Cate Masters. I would never have thought of it myself but the
dark moody retelling of the Grimm tale fits perfectly within the rock
music world. Creatively, uniquely written.PW Reader - 4 stars

From the very beginning with the motorcycle wreck, voices and the
strange Gundy in the old truck I was hooked in reading The Griffin's
Secret by Cate Masters. I would never have thought of it myself but the
dark moody retelling of the Grimm tale fits perfectly within the rock
music world. Creatively, uniquely written. While I don’t remember
reading any other books by this author, I will certainly be on the
lookout for her work from now on out.PW Reader - 4 stars

I loved the
magical aspect of this book. It was entertaining. Two cursed souls, destined to
be with each other and just like in those fairy-tales. In the end good
overcomes evil and love truly does conquer all. Overall the
characters were good, the story flowed. It was an easy read.

The
faint scent of an exotic flower on an ocean breeze hit him the second the girl
walked in. Every part of his body stood at attention, taking in the way she
moved. The curve of her slender hips. Those long legs…they’d wrap around the
back seat of his Harley perfectly. Wrap around him perfectly, too.

A
flip of her onyx-silk hair sent it behind her shoulder as she sat opposite.
“Who are you?”

Good
question. He’d been seeking the same answer for too long. “Jackson Grant.”

Her
eyes darkened, deep brown to charcoal diamonds. “Why are you here?”

“For
the roadie job.” Was she the first gatekeeper? A gate she kept locked, he’d
bet. Or maybe she was another test. Kev
had warned him there’d be tricky questions and to answer straight. Something
told him she asked out of curiosity.

“You
think you’re up for such a demanding job?”

Again,
the impression hit him she was making these questions up as she went along,
ad-libbing off his replies.

He’d
play. “I’m strong. Dependable. I follow orders, keep my head down, and stay out
of trouble.” And he liked his privacy.

Her
features smoothed, hard as porcelain. “Do you.” Not a question.

He’d
answer anyway. “Yes.”

Did
disappointment curl her lip? Or boredom? Why did he care? If he could, he’d
blast out of there before his own curiosity got the better of him. Already,
she’d gotten under his skin. Crazy how the tat no longer singed him, but now
twisted like a trapped animal.

With
a plastic smile, she batted her eyes, and the false flirtation didn’t suit her.
“So. You’re a yes-man.”

The
way she said it, he’d be no different than any other roadie serving the great
rock star, Malcolm Fetterman. Fine by Jackson. The less he stood out, the
better. Except for her. He hated to think of her glossing over his presence,
but that would be better, too.

He
drummed his fingers on the table. “I need the job.” Where the hell was Malcolm
anyway? The longer he stayed with her, the more he wanted to. Definitely
couldn’t afford that kind of trouble. He glanced at the open door, hoping he
wouldn’t have to go through the same interrogation again.

She
tapped the table. “You’d have to travel constantly.”

“Perfect.”
No different than his usual way of life. Except this time, his paycheck would
remain steady.

He
curled his lip this time. No one’s business but his. He shifted in his seat.
“They’re better off.”

Her
brows knit, and then her expression became unreadable as the Sphinx. “The hours
are long, and the equipment’s heavy. Everything has to be exactly as Mal
orders.”

Did
he imagine it, or had she winced at her own words?

He
shrugged. “It’s his show.” Someday, Jackson would have his own roadies. And
would treat them much better than Malcolm Fetterman did, if the stories proved
true.

Her
steely focus cut into him. “Mal doesn’t hire musicians except for those in the
band. And there aren’t any openings in Malcontent.”

He
didn’t allow himself to blink. “No problem.”

“But
you play, don’t you?” Her gaze dropped to his callused fingertips drumming the
tabletop.

He
drew his hand down. “No.” A necessary lie. She might suspect, but couldn’t
possibly know the truth. Almost like leaving one of his limbs behind, he’d
locked his Fender in storage in New Jersey with his paltry possessions for six
months. By then, he’d know whether this gig worked out.

Tuesday, May 12, 2015

It’s called El Toque de la Luna—The Touch of the Moon. At
least that’s how nineteen-year-old Gabby’s older sister, Esperanza, refers to
the magical powers she inherited from their Mayan ancestors. Esperanza says
women with El Toque weave magic into their knitting, creating tapestries
capable of saving—or devastating—the world. Gabby thinks Esperanza is more like
touched in the head—until a man dressed like a candy corn arrives at their
Seattle home on Halloween. But “Mr. C” is far from sweet…

Soon, Gabby and her almost-more-than-friend, Frank, find
themselves spirited away to a demon ball, complete with shape shifters—and on a
mission to destroy Esperanza’s tapestries before they cause an apocalyptic
disaster… And before it’s too late to confess their true feelings for each
other.

Erin Fanning spends
her summers on a northern Michigan lake, where her imagination explores the
water and dense forest for undiscovered creatures. In the winter, she migrates
to central Idaho, exchanging mountain bikes and kayaks for skis and snowshoes.
She’s the author of a mountain biking
guidebook, as well as numerous articles, essays, and short
stories.

In this scene, Gabby and Frank’s
relationship tentatively begins moving beyond best friends… until they are
interrupted by Gabby’s older sister Esperanza:

The fire
crackled, and Frank joined me at the window. Lamplight
pooled around my socks, and rain rat-a-tatted on the roof.

“Rain, rain, go
away. Come again, another day,” Frank said.

“You go from
Lester Ruben to Mother Goose. I guess Shakespeare’s a stretch.”

“Oh yeah? ‘Being
your slave, what should I do but tend upon the hours and times of your desire?’”

“English 101,
right? One of the sonnets?”

“Sonnet 57, to
be precise.”

“I’m impressed.”

“Never
underestimate me.” His hand brushed mine, and a charge ran up my arm. “You
know, you don’t need to be jealous of Esperanza. You’re as pretty as she is.”
He stammered over the last few words.

My cheeks grew
hot. No guy had ever called me pretty.

Frank put his
arm around my waist.

Surprising
myself, I leaned against him. Frank understood my complicated feelings for
Esperanza and Abuela, how they shut me out and acted like nothing mattered
except knitting. Our friendship went back forever. Words were unnecessary.

“What are you
two doing over there?” Esperanza said from behind us.

Frank and I
disentangled and whirled.

Esperanza,
balancing a tray holding three steaming mugs, winked at me. She placed the
drinks on the coffee table and handed Frank a mug. Eyes downcast, he sipped the
drink, fire flickering behind him.

Monday, May 11, 2015

It feels like I haven't done a Casting Call in forever. I couldn't wait to show you this one! I love this story. It's a contemporary retelling of the Grimm fairy tale, The Griffin. I hadn't been familiar with this particular fairy tale, but it was fun to put a modern spin on it, with wizards and witches in a rock and roll setting.

Jackson Grant, the hero, is on the run from trouble. But no matter where he goes, trouble always finds him. With a helpful push from Grundy, a gnome who's a wiz at tattoos, Jackson heads in a new direction. And new trouble.

Jensen Ackles would make a perfect Jackson. And not just because I could look at him all day. Those eyes! *sigh*

Layla has been with the band Malcontent for years, but not as a musical member, and not by choice. Her magic is bound to the band, and she's forced to help them succeed. The granddaughter of Jimi Hendrix has stellar talent of her own, and is ready to break loose.

From the first, I had Zoey Saldana in mind as Layla.

Mal was a fun villain to write. He's a rock star, so of course he's a bad boy. He's also a wizard, but wastes his powers on trifles. He's blinded by success, and may or may not know (or care) the grueling pain he puts Layla through so his band can stay at the top of the charts.

Mal was always Tom Hiddleston.

There are other characters, but those are the main players in the story.

I hope you enjoyed this Casting Call. And I hope you enjoy The Griffin's Secret!